In the Classroom

I’ll never forget January 2008. There I was, 23 years old, standing in front of 34 sophomores, convinced I was about to revolutionize their learning through a variety of meaningful classroom discussions. Within ten minutes, three students had their heads down, two were whispering about something entirely unrelated to the American Revolution, and one asked … Read more

I started teaching high school history in 2007, back when “engagement measurement” meant scanning the room during a lecture and hoping the kids in the back weren’t passing notes. I taught in two vastly different worlds over my time in the classroom…first at a nationally ranked academic school where students stressed over tenths of a … Read more

Ask any educator what keeps them up at night, and somewhere in the answer, you’ll find the struggle to create meaningful connections. After almost a decade of observing schools across every level, from rural elementary schools to urban community colleges to elite research universities, one pattern emerges clearly: student engagement event ideas aren’t about what … Read more

I started teaching in 2007, right before the slide began in education to **waves hand around** whatever this mess is.  At the time, I was convinced I knew what good teaching looked like. Students would read, we’d discuss, they’d write essays, and I’d grade them. Simple. Predictable. Control. Almost two decades later, I’ve learned that … Read more

I’ll never forget my first real test with classroom management. It was back in 2007, and I was standing in front of a packed high school history class at a nationally ranked academic school, convinced I had everything figured out. I’d spent weeks planning my lessons, designing my PowerPoints, and organizing my classroom rules into … Read more

I remember standing in front of my first class of 9th graders back in 2007, absolutely convinced I had everything figured out. My carefully color-coded classroom rules were posted prominently on the wall. My reward system was ready. I’d read all the blog posts, attended the professional development sessions, and taken copious notes during student … Read more

I walked into my first classroom in 2007, and if there’s one piece of advice I now give to new teachers during their first week of professional development, it’s this: your classroom walls are not your décor; they are your co-teacher. For a long time, I fell into the trap of treating my bulletin boards … Read more

When I started my first year teaching high school social studies back in 2007, I thought student engagement meant keeping everyone busy and entertained. I spent countless Sunday evenings hunting for flashy activities, convinced that if my students were laughing and moving, they were learning. I was wrong. In 2018, I became an instructional coach … Read more

I’ll never forget my first year in the classroom. I stood at my door before the first bell, armed with a clipboard containing 17 rules, 3 warnings per student, and absolutely zero idea what I was doing. My mentor teacher, bless her heart, watched me crash and burn for about six weeks before gently suggesting … Read more

Though we know our administrators constantly mention its importance, there are often gaping holes in their explanations regarding the importance of child-centered education. There is a multitude of reasons why this teaching methodology is not only important but extremely effective. However, often the importance of child-centered education is overlooked as soon as a teacher tries … Read more

I started standing in front of high school history classrooms in 2007. Back then, I thought I had it figured out. I was the expert. I had the knowledge. My job was to transfer that knowledge to the 150+ students who shuffled through my room each day. And for the most part, they sat quietly, … Read more